Mahindra getting ready for the Fusion Fest next year

Back by overwhelming demand following its groundbreaking debut, the festival is set to deliver an even bolder, more immersive cultural showcase where music, art and fashion collide in a way that is uniquely South African.

Speaking at the launch announcement, Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa, said the festival represents a powerful continuation of Mahindra’s journey to champion youth, creativity and community.

“Fusion Fest is a celebration of South Africa’s incredible creative spirit: bold, energetic and built on the belief that together we rise. After an extraordinary response to our first edition, 2026 will be even bigger, more ambitious and more powerful,” he says.

Zöe Modiga will take people back on a personal musical journey that starts with her birth year: 1994. Her ‘born free’ grows and evolves, absorbing a rich sonic soundscape that includes contributions from Mafikizolo, Kurt Darren and Claire Johnston.

Hip hop heavyweights BLXKIE and Maglera Doe Boy join forces with the Tshwane Gospel Choir in a genre collision that swerves from rap to rapturous.

This powerhouse quartet of Naledi Aphiwe, Karen Zoid, Nomfundo Moh and Mariechan, take us on a rollercoaster ride through the girl-powered hits that caught our collective imagination.

Three voices, all for one in a mind-bending, booty-shaking collaboration will be Zee Nxumalo, Focalistic and Daliwonga. It’s a celebration rooted in the now, with an eye on tomorrow, a proudly borderless, joyful shared statement of youthful intent.

Mahindra South Africa last month ignited the nationwide appeal with a high-energy roadshow launch at UCT in Cape Town with the next stop Durban this December.

Driving the campaign is a dynamic talent hunt built around three lifestyle categories, each inspired by a core pillar of the fusion festival — Music, Fashion, and Art. The top creators in each category will snag a R30 000 cash prize and earn their moment in the spotlight at the main Fusion Fest event.

And the momentum doesn’t stop there. Mahindra’s 3XO Test Drive Challenge is a high-energy experience that puts fans in the driver’s seat of the all-new Mahindra XUV 3XO, giving festival-goers and roadshow visitors the chance to put the vehicle through its paces.